You Magazine January 2014

you JANUARY 18 2014

magazine

Your Ashburton Guardian publication

Be happy and treat yourself like a princess, says stylist

INSIDE

why buy local?

Because it helps the whole community

load up on carbs

Marg Brownlie takes us on a pasta tour

YOU social scene

2

What’s in you

P2-3

who’s out and about?

P4-12

buy local and help your community

P13 P14-15 P16

help yourself relax with a holiday do whatever makes you happy columnist: Woes of early morning gym

P18-19

Marg Brownlie goes for pasta

P20

ways to get your 5-plus a day

P28

what they were wearing at the Globes

P30-31

women in business

P34-36

gardening and FREE flower packs

P38-39

who’s out and about?

PUBLISHER Ashburton Guardian Co Ltd 307-7900 l www.guardianonline.co.nz Material in YOU is copyright to the Ashburton Guardian and can not be reproduced without the written permission of the publishers

Methven Masterchef

magazine

Editor’s note Welcome to the first YOU edition of 2014. Here’s hoping it finds you happy and well and ready to tackle the coming year.

This edition we have made a strong push to promote buying local.

The reason is simple. It benefits the whole of the community to have thriving local businesses. It helps with our identity, local businesses put money back into the community and hire local people.

I believe it would be a miserable day indeed if we had nothing but chain stores and internet shopping in our local communities!

Also, check out our cover lady, Lisa O’Neill, she is a colourful stylist heading back to Ashburton in October. She’s seriously funny and makes a lot of sense about us females and how we need to put ourselves first sometimes.

Enjoy, Lisa Fenwick YOU editor

photos tetsuro mitomo 100114-tm-119

Above (from left) – Lizzie Barwell, Colleen Mehrtens and Robyn Lilley.

100114-tm-114

Above – Gaewynne Hood and Margaret Logan.

Editorial contact Lisa Fenwick • 307-7929 • lisa.f@theguardian.co.nz

Advertising contact Desme Daniels • 307-7974 • desme.d@theguardian.co.nz

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YOU feature

4

When you buy

By Sue Newman

Early Ashburton town was built on the strength of its small retailers.

Shops were established to provide the necessities of life in the fledgling plains town and as Ashburton’s population grew so too did its retail heart. Locals spent their money in local shops and for families those local shops also provided employment for their children.

Over the years, transportation improved, malls arrived in Christchurch and so too did cheaper imported goods and big box retailers with their ability to

local

offer interest-free deals. And now there is online shopping, firmly entrenched and just another part of the retail scene.

Making a dollar as a retailer has never been easy but today, bricks and mortar retailers are having to be more creative than ever to make a living in a market flooded with shopping opportunities.

Ashburton’s retailers are fighting back and have come up with a range of innovative ways to retain the loyalty of local shoppers. They’ve reinvented themselves, reshaped their businesses and say they’re focused on doing what they do best, providing first-class, per-

sonal service.

But there’s more to spending your money in your own community than lining retailers’ pockets; every dollar spent in the Ashburton District stays in the Ashburton District and creates jobs in the Ashburton District, they say.

Invest in our retailers and they, in turn, invest in you. Spending locally also means the survival of local shops and that in turn stops Ashburton becoming just a sleeper town for Christchurch, a place where people live, perhaps buy the basics, but where Christchurch becomes the place they earn and spend their money.

5

you’re investing in Ashburton

“

Chris Redmond Loyal customers who keep their business local, are the foundation stone on which family businesses are built, says retailer Chris Redmond.

His family business was founded about 60 years ago and over those years has provided furniture and furnishings to generations of Ashburtonians. For Chris, customer loyalty is everything, but like all local retailers, he knows retaining that loyalty can’t be taken for granted.

The key is customer service, customer service and customer service, he said.

“If you buy out of town you can’t get the same aftersales service, you can’t take things home on appro and you often can’t get things delivered.”

Shopping locally also meant keeping money in the local

economy and creating local jobs, Chris said.

Some shoppers only saw the big print, a 60-month interest free deal and there was a misconception that local businesses were more expensive, but if people checked the prices and did the research they would find that often wasn’t true, he said.

Yes, Christchurch malls and big box retailers have had an impact on local businesses, but they also provided an opportunity for local businesses to change as the market changed, he said.

“We’ve aligned ourselves with some of the national brands and that’s allowed us to keep our prices on par with the city. Smaller, local retailers aren’t more expensive and we travel overseas and direct import goods so we are competitive.”

Even for loyal local shoppers, the market today was about smart shopping.

“A lot of our customers will look around Christchurch and they’ll ask us to match a price. Most often we can. That’s the nice thing in a small town, people come back and they know that if we don’t have the same product they want we can usually get it for them.”

YOU feature

6

“

Alister Lilley The changing face of local retail couldn’t be more clearly demonstrated than in the electrical appliance market, Alister Lilley says.

“Forty years ago there were nine other electrical appliance retailers; today we’re the only Ashburton owned and operated one left.”

There’s no denying we live in the click-and-buy age, but the key to survival was adapting to the new environment, Alister said.

He sees his greatest challenge as connecting to the under 35s.

Adapting means getting smarter in what he does and how he runs his business.

“It’s simple, you have to diversify or die. You have to keep reinventing yourself.”

There were, however, plenty of good reasons for people to shop locally rather then heading out of town or online - great service, easy parking, after-sales service. But retailers also had to see where the market was moving and they had to be able to meet that market, Alister said.

“You can’t force people to shop locally and you have to give them good reasons to come into your store. We recognise that people have choices but if you buy locally the money stays local; it goes on the local merry-go-round.”

Local retailers understood the local economy and they understood the rural community because they were part of that community, he said.

“We have the DNA of our community but we have to develop, diversify or die.”

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Annette Fyfe Children’s wear retailer Annette Fyfe says that people might think they were getting a bargain by shopping online, but that’s not always the case.

“The brands I deal in are no dearer; my brands are often cheaper in store than online and people come in because they like the personal service. If you get the wrong size online, what do you do?”

Shopping locally usually meant buying better quality and it meant buying without the risks that came with buying ‘unseen’ products online, she said.

“One of my big strengths is having quality items, that’s what I enjoy selling, so it’s a buzz when you have customers come in and say I’m cheaper than online.”

She’s been in retail for 43 years and is now selling to people who came into her store as children with their mothers. And for any retailer, that inter-generational commitment is an indication that locals do prefer to shop locally, Annette said.

“It’s great to see that mums, young mums are still investing in quality clothing for their children.”

She does not have an online store – yet – but said that will come when the Ashburton Arcade is rebuilt. She plans to launch a website and her new store in tandem.

“For me it will be more about showcasing what I have in the shop, but I will sell through the website.”

She might be planning to add online to instore business, but Annette said that won’t change what she sees is her point of difference – quality that’s affordable.

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YOU feature

8

“

Donna Mealings It’s the personal touch that makes the difference when you shop in Ashburton rather than out of town or online, says Donna Mealings.

“Yes the internet’s there but we’re lucky, we’re pretty specialised in what we do. If you’re serious about running or cycling you know you need to seek advice.”

When you were spending a significant amount of money on an item, buying online always brought with it the risk that the item might not fit or might not be exactly what you thought it would be, she said.

One of the hidden benefits of supporting local retailers was the returns that came back to the community from event sponsorship, assistance with team fundraising and support that was often given in the way of prizes for competitions, Donna said.

“It’s crucial people remember this – retailers like us support the town, but it’s important that people in turn support us. One of the great things about being a locally-owned business is that we can just say yes, when it comes to supporting someone or something, we don’t have to go to a head office.”

As a local retailer, Donna said her family is focused on spending its dollars locally too.

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Richard Wilson The difference between shopping in mall chain stores and in a locally-owned business is the absolute commitment that local retailers had to provide top products and top service, says clothing retailer Richard Wilson.

“We’re independent, we’re passionate about our store and for us service is very, very important.”

There was no denying the role online shopping was playing when it came to buying clothing, but that didn’t mean bricks and mortar retailers couldn’t compete. They could, by continuing with their traditional business and doing that better

than ever but also by creating an online presence for themselves, Richard said.

“We’re about to go live with our shop online service.

We need to get our back office absolutely right first, but we have sold our first pair of jeans online.”

Rather than a threat, the internet was a great tool for traditional retailers both for selling and for marketing, he said.

“We’ll always be a bricks and mortar retailer, but we now have a worldwide window.”

Having an online shop wasn’t the absolute answer to retail survival, but it was one of the tools that ensured today’s retailers stayed relevant and viable, Richard said.

“Yes, the retail market is tough but we have to concentrate on good brands and on good service. Local shopping is important because it’s keeping money local. You pay your staff and they spend money locally.”

He believes survival in today’s retail environment is about becoming focused on a specific market sector, rather than trying to be all things to all people.

The hardest market was the youth culture because of that age group’s focus on high fashion, price and online shopping, he said.

“We see the internet as a trend but also as an opportunity. We’re in our business for the long haul and you have to invest in your business, you have to be forward thinking and you have to be progressive to survive.”

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YOU feature

10

Jamie Fridd started her homewares and jewellery online shop – Jamie Kay – just six months ago and can’t believe how much it’s grown.

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YOU

11

Web opens up the

whole world

for Rakaia homeware designer Shopping locally doesn’t necessarily mean walking into a shop and handing over money. An increasing number of Ashburton businesspeople are using the internet as a sole trading tool. Erin Tasker reports.

J

amie Fridd reckons she’s got the perfect job; a job which allows her to stay in her pyjamas until morning tea time if she so desires.

For the mother of two preschoolers, running an online homewares and jewellery shop gives her the ability to spend quality time with her precious boys and work from home, and she loves it.

She sells things she makes as well as goods she sources from overseas through her website, Jamie Kay, all from the comfort of her Rakaia home.

Jamie Kay only went live in June, but Jamie can’t believe how fast it’s grown. She has local customers, a large number of customers from Auckland and even gets international orders.

“I thought it would be a slow build-up and after Christmas there would be a lot more orders,” she said.

But the popularity caught her by surprise.

She does most of her work after her boys are in bed and in the lead-up to Christmas she was spending five hours every night, wrapping and packing goods ready for shipping. Even her husband got roped into helping keep up with demand as she dealt with around 3000 orders in December alone.

Jamie lives on a Rakaia farm with her husband Nathan and two boys William, 4, and Thomas, 1, and after leaving her job to be a mum, found herself making her own homewares and think-

ing she’d love to turn her creative flair into a job.

She’d studied design and having worked for a company which designed and imported clothes, had the knowledge and the contacts to do just that.

So her website was born, as well as a Facebook page which has helped get her name out there.

Her workload is growing by the day and she says she couldn’t do it without the support of her family.

“It’s a lot of work but I’ve always wanted to do it and if I didn’t do it now I’d be mad at myself.

You’re only young once,” she said.

Jamie is a perfectionist and uses only the best quality textiles for her homewares and top grade Swarovski crystals for her jewellery. She likes things done her way – the right way – but knows that she’s going to need help soon, as Jamie Kay continues to grow.

She runs stalls at fetes and is often asked if she has a store.

Jamie says she can never see herself having her own shop in a town, but would like to see her goods in shops, and is looking at the possibility of transforming a shed on her family’s farm which could double as a warehouse and a store she could open a couple of days a week.

That’s just one of her many goals, but her main focus for 2014 is her brand and making Jamie Kay 100 per cent her.

“I want it to be all my own designs and I want people to be able to buy worldwide,” Jamie said.

She’s already got the ball rolling, with an Australian distributor on board.

Some people say there’s a danger in buying online because you never know what you’re really going to get. But Jamie’s determined that’s never going to be a worry for her customers.

“I don’t want people to ever open anything and be disappointed,” she said.

For her, designing and creating is her fun time; it’s like her sport. Whether it’s sewing, drawing or making jewellery, it’s her ideal job.

“It’s perfect. I design or make the product and take the photographs and put them on my website, people order it, I pack it up and it goes,” she said.

“I don’t have to get dressed up and I don’t have to go anywhere.”

She loves it, even though it isn’t always easy.

“I’m finding myself really happy because I’m doing what I want to do.

“I want to build it up and I want it to go somewhere, so for that to happen I have to put in the hard work at the start.”

Jamie Kay is just one of an increasing number of online shops run locally.

“There’s heaps of people around doing amazing things, you’ve just got to look for them,” Jamie said.

feature YOU

12

Benefits to

buying local

at a glance

– Service

– Giving back

Superior service comes from local businesses.

– Environmental

Local purchasing is often claimed to be better for the environment.

Bringing goods from afar generally requires using more energy than transporting goods locally, and some environmental advocates see this as a serious environmental threat.

– Unique

– More jobs

For communities, spending at local businesses also generates more jobs and wealth in the local economy. Those staff members employed by local businesses also spend money locally.

Basically, money spent in your community, stays in your community.

A number of researchers and organisations are taking a closer look at how money flows, and what they’re finding shows the profoundeconomicimpactofkeepingmoneyin town—and how the fate of many communities around the nation and the world increasingly depend on it.

– By Judith D. Schwartz

Supporting our independent local businesses keeps us from becoming just another town like any other. Our tourism businesses also benefit. “When people go on holiday they generally seek out destinations that offer them the sense of being someplace, not just anyplace.”

– Not as risky

– Helps community

Local businesses give more to their community, in sponsorship, assistance with team fundraising and donations in the way of prizes for competitions.

Most of the time when you buy local, you’ve viewed it, felt it and tried it on or tried it out. Buying things online from out of town can be a nightmare when things don’t come to you in good order.

– Convenience

For things like delivery, taking items home on appro and when items need to be returned.

Visit www.ashburtontrust.co.nz

naturally YOU

The

13

impact

a good holiday has on you

The stunning sight of a beach in the Caitlins.

C

you

oming home from a also important to see and exweek away made me perience what other differentrealise how much your sized towns and cities have brain can be taken up daily to offer. with constant thoughts of Meeting the locals in their all that needs to be done on local cafes, bars, shops and a single day of the working I-sites helps find out more week. about the area and new I am refreshed and replaces to visit and spend your charged from seeing the difmoney. ferent sights and focusing on It is always interesting talkthe New Zealand beauty that ing to the locals of an area you passes you by each moment are visiting to gain a better NATURALLY YOU when you are travelling along perspective of the place and JANE LOGIE our country roads. what special features it has. is a medicinal herbalist The vibrancy of the colours, Every corner of our pretty and clinical nutritionist the contrasting towns and South Island gets the creative farmlands is a visual feast. brain kicking into action, lookTravelling can be tiring, but it ing for the next pretty picture can be a way of letting go of the everyday busy- to shoot. No thoughts of work are in my mind. ness. You can sit back and listen to the tunes How lovely it is not to think of anything much playing on local radios while passing through other than what is out the window passing you the different towns. by.

Your curiosity keeps your thoughts totally in Having a holiday means so many things to the moment of wonder of what is going to apdifferent people. But the general consensus is pear as you round each corner or bend. I was that it gives the brain and body a chance to take amazed by the Southland countryside and its a break, and both can take some time to go on contrasts as the kilometres ticked by. complete recharge.

While feeling tired from sleeping in strange Arriving home feels strange and a sign that places instead of the same old familiar bed, another adventure of tiki-touring around the it’s a small price to pay for feeling completely bottom of the South Island of New Zealand is invigorated from exercising the eyeballs at a over. constant speed, sucking up the magnificent But a pleasant feeling washes over you of bebeauty that our countryside offers. ing away and exploring and seeing some terrific Travelling locally around New Zealand, it is sights, collides with feelings of how good it is magazine

to have been away with, how good it is to be home and back in familiar territory and familiar surroundings.

A week away from the monotony of everyday life that we face can feel like so much more than a measly seven days, it actually feels like a month has gone by.

So maybe that is a sign of how powerful taking a week’s holiday can be in order to recharge the body, mind and soul.

Make sure you take some time to have a holiday, if you haven’t had the chance already, to feel the impact having a holiday can have on YOU.

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YOU feature

14

Look good, be gorgeous, be happy, yeah, right. Sounds easy and if you’re stylist Lisa O’Neill, it is. She share become her business – helping Kiwi women look good and feel good about themselves.

Make yourself happy ...

L

isa O’Neill has the perfect job – she spends every day doing only the things that make her happy.

That’s her job, helping women get the best out of their lives by looking great, feeling great and above all else, being happy.

It might sound trite, but Lisa’s absolute belief is that by looking good you’ll feel good about yourself. You can’t always change the body you’re in, but you can change your attitude towards it and it’s changing that attitude that Lisa is all about.

She’s a walking, talking ball of energy, a woman who is passionate about what she does and passionate about helping other women discover the key to making their own lives better.

She’s striking without being beautiful, well proportioned without being thin and she’s brutally honest. She says the things that other women only think.

Recently she was on stage in Ashburton at a Gluyas Ford women’s night, and in store at Farmers.

In her wake she left a big group of women a little wiser about making the best of what they’ve got in the way of a body by disguising the worst bits and making the best of the rest.

“If you’ve got a good rack, show it off, if you’ve got a good bum, don’t hide it. If it’s your wrists you like, wear a sparkly thing. It doesn’t matter what it is show it off,” she said.

“We’re all made gorgeous, it’s just that some people’s gorgeous bits are harder to find than others. Some people run around with gorgeous bits everywhere; others are completely undercover.

Everyone has something that’s amazing, you just have to find it.”

The amount of ‘deficit thinking’ women had was mindblowing, Lisa said.

Everyone is born believing they’re gorgeous, but along the way something happens, life starts chipping away at that self belief and by the time we arrive at young adulthood we’re chipped to bits, believing we’re not good enough in most areas of our lives, she said.

She grew up with a mum who believed in routine, structure and not drawing attention to yourself. Her mantras were ‘what will people think?’ or ‘who do you think you are?’

“My family had a big dad, little mum, big daughter, little son. I liked dressing up, didn’t like sport and was constantly told I was too bossy, too talkative. Now I’ve made a career out of all these things.”

To get to that career, however, she had to battle the conditioning and self doubts of her childhood. The turning point came in 2004 when she met a life coach.

“I thought the concept was fabulous. What a great idea, employing someone who listened to you talk about your thoughts and ideas. She said ‘tell me about yourself’.

“Well I love to talk and in those days I was my own favourite subject.

I couldn’t believe my luck.”

Then, her life was all about achievement and trying to be the best at

motherhood, being a wife, running a house and her career.

As an art director she juggled two-week stints in Australia and New Zealand, always taking whichever of her four children was the youngest with her. She did this for seven years while she and husband Mark juggled childcare.

The idea of starting her own business took hold, grew and she found herself a niche in the personal stylist market helping women to make the most of their assets. She couldn’t believe her luck. She was getting paid for doing something she loved.

The new job, however, meant she was constantly on the road and that meant something had to give at home.

That something was Mark’s job. He’s now fulltime Mr Mum and is the family star at meals, school runs,

washing, ironing and even sewing on ballet shoe ribbons. That he’s good at the domestic round doesn’t surprise Lisa. “I’ve been training him for this since he was 14,” she said.

Making your life work was about deciding what worked for you and what made you happy, Lisa said.

“If housework doesn’t work, then don’t do it.

I don’t. There are people out there who love to clean and I can make them happy.”

Her children now range in age from six to 14 and for them life has always been about having a mum who was on the road.

“My kids think it’s cool that I do what I do, they like the fact that people know me.”

She spends most of her year zipping around Australasia talking, turning on highly entertaining shows and corporate events – and talking.

Lisa tells it exactly as it is. She doesn’t mince words, but she delivers her message with style, panache and in a hugely entertaining way. In her words – “I say what other women are thinking.”

For her it all comes back to image, the image you have of yourself, the image you

YOU

15

es with reporter Sue Newman her philosophy on life that has

and wear a tiara while you’re doing it

Photo Donna Wylie 191113-DW-233

Talking up the art of an attractively tied scarf, stylist Lisa O’Neill

portray to the world.

“We are becoming very conscious of what we put into our bodies but we never think about what we put into our heads. Focus on what makes you happy, that’s the point of life. What else is there?”

It comes down to self-esteem. The hard part for most women is discovering what it is that makes them happy, she said.

Lisa has the answer.

“Looking good makes you feel good about yourself. It’s that simple. If you have a big bum, buy a great top. Always wear well-cut knickers or your bum will eat your undies.”

Her take on knickers is simple – the bigger the better. No point in wearing something that barely covers the parsley and leaves the biscuit layers spilling out the top, she says.

Bad undies are like your car keys, you’re always looking for them. And it’s the same with pantyhose.

“For God’s sake. The size on the chart doesn’t tell the story – small, medium and large. No wonder we’ve spent years with our hands between our legs hauling our panty hose crutches up. Buy big ones.”

She’s a big fan of underwear that keeps the

Photo Donna Wylie 191113-DW-254

Stylist Lisa O’Neill, doing what she does best, helping Ashburton’s Jenny Wells choose an outfit that will not only make her look great but feel great too.

wobbly bits under control, but buying that underwear comes with a warning – don’t buy it too small or you’ll end up either choking to death or pulling rolls of it out from under your boobs. The all-in-one under garment is great with a special feature, open crutch was a winner, Lisa said.

“Wonderful, you can pee anywhere.”

And then there are bras. They can change your life.

“Boobs are designed to sit between your shoulder and your elbow not the elbow and the wrist. They’re designed to sit separately. Like naughty children they need separate rooms.

Ideally we should have two boobs, like hamburgers rather than the long lunch ones.”

Size is irrelevant – you have to dress to make yourself happy. If you don’t like the size on the label, rip it off. The key is to dress to make the most of your shape – pear, apple, banana, hourglass. It doesn’t matter what you look like with your clothes off, put the right ones on and you’ll look a million dollars.

“Many women dislike the way they feel about their bodies but we all have the option to change our minds. Change your mind and your body will love you for it.”

She believes in the tiara. Every woman should have one. “I put mine on and my kids know they don’t disturb me. It’s wonderful. I can sit on the couch and no-one comes near.”

She says her teenage son’s friends, however, struggle a bit with his mum wearing a dressing gown and a tiara around the house.

And she’s a big fan of scarves. She wears them to enhance and disguise but she also wears them to feel good, particularly when you’re floating around home in a nightie.

“Put on a scarf and you’ll look glamorous. No one will notice that your boobs are hanging around your waist. I even wear mine when I’m sitting up in bed. I feel wonderful.”

And jackets, put one on and suddenly you’re powerful.

“I do it at home. When I put on my jacket my kids know not to mess with me.”

There is no excuse for wearing boring comfort clothes, Lisa said.

“You spend a fortune looking through books, dressing your house and spending money on stuff. Forget it, spend the money on you. You deserve it.”

Too many women looked after everyone else and forgot about themselves, she said.

“Their cup is empty and they can’t look after themselves. That’s bollocks. You need to look after yourself, treat yourself, spend money on yourself.

“You do matter – a whole lot. All you have at the end of the day is yourself. Your kids leave home and men, they can leave too.

“I hear too many women say ‘my husband wouldn’t like that … my husband won’t like me spending money on clothes …’ . This is about you.”

Too many women are dragging husbands behind them like a trailer, she said.

“You get a good one keep him, but if he’s a trailer, start looking after yourself and unhook the trailer.”

With a demanding schedule that already sees her calendar full for this year, Lisa keeps her energy up by watching her diet – dairy and gluten are out because they sap her energy, but she insists she’s not a diet fanatic.

“People think I’m a really shallow kind of girl.

I’m not, I’m a hippy in high heels. I do yoga and had my four kids at home.”

Part of this year’s busyness is a return to Ashburton in October, for a fundraising event for Mid Canterbury Plunket.

YOU opinionated

16

The gym and mornings S

invented by the devil you

o I did the cliched thing and like the devil, with bright red hair joined the gym ... despite sticking up in all directions (isn’t dire warnings from oththat right Toni May? You’ve seen ers about foot fungus in gym it before). showers, sweaty butt cracks and There is no positive thought actually having to exercise. wave in my head before 8am, I Cliched it may be, but for me don’t like anyone. I think nothing it is no longer a choice, it just but foulness and vitriol. If I’m left has to be done. I’ve joined gyms alone to a coffee and a smoke before, I like them because you (something that’s next on my list pay money for them and that to cut out, god help everyone), I alone makes me go. can put on a semi human hat.

That said, it’s hell. I’ve been The only reason I actually wake MUM ON THE RUN about four times now and not up is because I have two alarms,

BY LISA FENWICK only does it take a while to plus a partner in gym crime, get into a rhythm but the only Ashleigh. She rings, sometimes logical time for me to go is before work in the three times for sound to penetrate my semimorning. This was the toughest decision of all ... dead sleep (even my editor has threatened to my family knows better than to drag me out of ring and wake me up in the mornings). Yip, it bed at 6.30 in the morning. There is no 6.30am takes a village to raise this kid from the “dead”. for me ... no matter how fit I’ve been in my life, So after sleep driving to the gym, pretendhow fat or thin(er) or how energetic, I am not ing to smile at Ashleigh and getting on one of a morning person, I will never be a morning the torture racks, I’m away. Slowly the foulperson. ness fades away, a couple of little shy positive I try really hard to stay relatively positive in life, thoughts pop into my head and desperate but early mornings I am the devil. I even look thoughts of my bed and another 30 minutes magazine

in it slides away. Many people have said to me that they don’t like going to the gym because other people will look at them. Me, I don’t care about that. It’s their problem if they’re looking and most people aren’t. Most people don’t give two hoots about what you are doing, they are there for themselves and their own reasons.

In fact, if people do stare at me, it won’t be the wobbly bits they’re looking at. It’ll probably be the fact that out of sheer resentment at being up at that time, I don’t flatten down my hair either ... nobody’s probably ever seen a sight like it.

And there’s another of the old cliches I’ve heard in the past – “Oh I hate the gym. Full of stuck-up posers just prancing around in their hot gym outfits.”

That is such rubbish. I’ve been to three gyms in Ashburton and I have yet to see anyone prancing about in lycra looking all hot and fresh and doing no real work. When I walk into the gym I see red, sweaty faces. No-one in their right mind gets up at that time of the morning if they’re not prepared to get some good out of it and sweat.

In all seriousness, the gym is not for every-

one. It is for me, some days when I get my act together. I like that you have to go no matter what the weather, that it gives you no excuses, and that if you don’t go, you’re wasting a lot of money.

I’m hoping the early mornings get easier soon, and that my fitness takes a turn for the better in no time at all. But that’s entirely up to me isn’t it. I either man up and do the work or I’ll let myself down. And the biggest problem with that is shutting off my early-morning devil voice in my head – working on it.

I may even branch out and get a personal trainer, see if she can whip my tired old battered body into shape. The most important thing a trainer can have with me is a REALLY good sense of humour and the patience and tolerance of a saint (good luck with that Stephanie I say).

NOTE to other gym users: Dear other sweaters, it’s not you I’m glaring at, but the early morning sunrise shining right through the damn windows on to my already hot face!

NOTE to Ashleigh: You have inspired me with your new and hard-won tough body and nonwobbly booty.

YOU house of travel

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17

Surprising Singapore After four stopovers, David Smith is a long way from finished with experiencing this Asian city.

A

fter two stopover visits, I knew Singapore had more to offer - I'm just surprised how much more.

Our family came home with a list of things we still wanted to do in Singapore. That's despite six busy days, which were full of fun experiences.

We had hoped that the breakfast with the orang-utans at Singapore Zoo would be part of our latest visit, but a tropical storm ruled that out. We had already decided the zoo's acclaimed new River Safari would have to wait for another trip, along with the Marina Bay Garden Walk, the ArtScience Museum, Chinatown and the new SEA Aquarium, the largest in the world.

A return to Universal Studios is also on the list, after we had an absolute ball there on our outgoing stay in September.

The decision to visit the theme park was spur-of-the-moment, as it was just a short shuttle ride from our accommodation on Sentosa Island. What we thought would be a few hours' fun turned into a whole afternoon at one of Singapore's premier

attractions at the huge Resorts World complex.

The theme park is split into seven zones - New York, Hollywood, Sci-Fi City, Far Far Away, Ancient Egypt, Lost World and Madagascar - all with movie-themed rides, shows and places to eat.

Finding reasonably priced casual restaurants can be a bit of challenge in Singapore, where the major tourist hotels put a lot of emphasis on large, expensive buffets, and the shopping complexes are dominated by food hall-type eateries.

There are alternatives, one of which we discovered at Singapore's biggest shopping complex, VivoCity. Jamie's Italian, one of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's network of restaurants, opened in July and we were lucky enough to stroll up for a lunchtime sitting.

Singapore is a shoppers' paradise and wandering around VivoCity, with more than 300 stores, a 15-theatre multiplex and children's play park, can easily chew up your holiday hours and dollars.

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Flyer - the biggest ferris wheel in the world at 165m high.

We hopped in one of the Flyer's airconditioned cabins and enjoyed a 40-minute ride gazing at the gradually changing night vistas.

Another thing worth viewing is the old, famous Raffles Hotel.

Built in 1887, Raffles retains its colonial character. Walking around the grounds, you get a feeling for a bygone era of elegance with the lush tropical gardens and peaceful courtyards.

The constant humidity in Singapore means it's always a good time for a cocktail, and I would suggest making an attractive pool area a priority when choosing where to stay.

Both of the hotels we stayed in had inviting pools, which we made the most of to escape the heat and to sit by with a cold drink.

I would happily recommend either the Rasa Sentosa or Ritz-Carlton, with the former better suited to families and the latter definitely worth considering for those who like being pampered.

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YOU GO *Terms and conditio

Near VivoCity, is the Harbourfront Station from where to catch the cable car to Mt Fabre, which has lovely walking tracks, or in the other direction across the water to Sentosa.

Taxis are reasonably priced in Singapore and the drivers we encountered were all happy to talk about Singapore and offer sightseeing suggestions - and they seemed to love Tony Williams, Dean Martin and Bing Crosby.

It seemed no time before we were back in Singapore, having enjoyed a month in Europe, but this time based in Marina Bay at the grand Ritz-Carlton.

Based in Marina Bay at the grand RitzCarlton, our hotel room, on the 22nd floor, offered amazing views over Marina Bay and out to the new garden walk area.

The hotel has become widely known for its unique design, with a curved ship-shaped structure at the top sitting across the three A-shaped towers. Singapore seems to have a thing about getting people high off the ground. Another popular attraction is the

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YOU foodies

18

Pasta ... as easy or healthy as you want it to be

O

nce again, on visiting SimpliFood in the Triangle I am delighted at the innovation of Mike O’Hare and Laurie Seeley at the introduction of “The Hub”.

The Hub is a cosy corner of the shop where you can sit and peruse recipes made available for your creativity to flow. Nestled right beside the gluten-free section, it is a great place to start planning your menu with new ideas for the rapidly growing numbers of people who are gluten intolerant or have just chosen to go gluten free for health reasons.

One of my favourite pasta dishes, which incidentally can be seved warm or cold, is a close relation to the famous Italian dish, Pasta Puttanesca, but my version involves a little cheating on the way and is so easy.

Chorizo and shallot pasta.

photo marg brownlie

SimpliFood... more than just food We stock a wide range including brewing, cooking ingredients, cake decorating and party lines, cleaning products, bird seed, gluten free and organic products.

Monday - Friday 9.00am to 5.30pm Saturday 9.00am to 1.00pm Come in to SimpliFood to purchase your Gluten free pasta today.

Eml: ashburton@simplifood.co.nz

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P 307 6077 F 307 6078 105 Victoria Street, Ashburton

YOU

19

– 2 chicken breasts, skin on, cooked in a

poaching liquid of 1C chicken stock, 1/2 C coconut cream, 1 lemon grass stalk (white part only, bruised), 1t brown sugar, 1t fish sauce, juice and rind of 1 lime.

– Bring the above ingredients to almost boiling point and gently slide the chicken breasts into the liquid. Turn off the heat and leave chicken sitting in the liquid, covered, for 30 mins or until cooked all the way through.

– Remove and set aside the chicken and also set aside the poaching liquid.

magazine

Poached chicken and Thai green curry fettucine

you

This is a really simple and tasty pasta dish using either normal or gluten-free pasta.

FOR FOODIES

BY MARG BROWNLIE

– Cook fettucine according to packet instructions and drain. Put back into pot with a teaspoon of Thai green curry paste and toss through the chopped up chicken, and a handful of blanched green beans. Add some of the poaching liquid to acquire whatever consistency you like to eat your pasta at.

Chorizo and shallot pasta

2C gluten free pasta (spiral or shell shapes are good for this dish). Cook according to the packet instructions.

1/2 C good quality ready-made pasta sauce 1/4 C roughly chopped kalamata olives 1C roughly chopped chorizo sausage 1/4 C sliced shallots 1/4 C fresh Italian parsley, chopped finely

– Pan fry the chirizo sausage and shallots until golden brown and drain on kitchen paper to get rid of any excess oil.

– Combine with the cooked pasta and rest of the ingredients and toss until pasta is well coated with the sauce.

– Put into a salad bowl and sprinkle with fresh basil leaves and shaved parmesan on top.

Fab 20

P

lentiful summer produce makes 5+ A Day even easier SUMMER produce is packed with an abundance of nutrients that promote good health, says 5+ A Day nutritionist Bronwen Anderson.

And, she adds, it’s easy to include fresh fruit and vegetables in your daily meal plan thanks to the variety of fresh produce in season.

“Seasonal produce is not only excellent value, it is also at optimum flavour and quality, making it highly nutritious,” Anderson says. “And at this time of the year it’s easy to include an extra serving at breakfast, lunch and dinner or as a refreshing and energy boosting snack.

“Eating a wide range of fresh seasonal produce helps to maintain a strong immune system.

“Go for variety and colour to maximise health benefits,” she says. “With such a wide variety of summer fruit and vegetables to choose from, increasing your daily intake and adding fresh new flavours to all your favourite recipes is simple to do.”

Here are some quick recipe ideas using cherries, raspberries, blueberries, tomatoes and avocados.

Cherries These date from prehistoric times in Asia and are a member of the rose family.

Nutrition: Cherries are an excellent source of vitamin C and are rich in antioxidants. They are also low GI. Quick recipe ideas: Toast a sliced baguette

fresh ideas

and spread with goats’ cheese, add rocket and top with chopped cherries for an easy festive canape.

Add a fruity twist to Christmas Day feasts by adding pitted cherries to chicken, turkey or pork stuffing. Or add a festive flavour to salads by adding cherries to green salads.

cheese skewers. Thread on to skewers and before grilling, brush with a vinaigrette of garlic, oregano, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and olive oil.

Avocados

Raspberries

ghurt, place on a tray lined with baking paper and freeze until firm. Lighten up chicken salad with plain low-fat yoghurt, blueberries and some celery. This mix works well in wraps, romaine leaf “boats,” or on top of salad greens.

These are mainly red in colour but have cousins that are yellow and black.

Nutrition: Raspberries provide a source of fibre, thanks to their high number of seeds.

They also contain vitamin C and folate, which are important for expectant mothers.

Quick recipe ideas: For a healthy start to the day, sprinkle raspberries over cereals or add to a smoothie.

Tomatoes

Blueberries One of the few fruits native to North America.

Nutrition: Loaded with antioxidants, vitamin C and iron, blueberries are widely considered to be a superfood that may help prevent heart disease, cancer and other serious health conditions.

Quick recipe ideas: For a powerhouse breakfast, add a handful of blueberries to bircher muesli for an antioxidant kick. For a healthy snack for kids, dip blueberries in Greek yo-

Affectionately known by the French as “pommes d’amour”, which means apples of love.

Nutrition: Tomatoes are a source of fibre and vitamin A, and an excellent source of vitamin C, which boosts immunity. Due to the presence of the antioxidant lycopene, tomatoes can help in the prevention of several cancers.

Quick recipe ideas: Tomato bruschetta is an easy way to enjoy ripe tomatoes. Dice tomatoes and mix through fresh chopped basil, flat leaf parsley and olive oil, then pile on to garlicrubbed toasted bread. Add a bit of colour to the barbecue with cherry tomato and halloumi

180.00mm

PINOT GRIS VERJUS

180.00mm not Gris grapes , north facing River Vineyard. rd ownwed by es.

Best Before: July 2015 Non Alcohol Contains: Pressed Grapes, Sulphur Dioxide (220), Ascorbic Acid, Tartaric Acid, No Sugar Added.

Nutrition Information:

Home chef’s ultimate secret ingredient!

l of approximately in acid and low in sugar rived from Verjus, ef ’sfor HOO, the ‘H French term ome Ch Se e cret Ultim , dates back toatmedieval gredient!’ enjoying aIn worldwide Product of South Island NEW ZEALAND eplacing vinegar and Available from: natural flavour enhancer.

Marlborough elicious refreshing.

Pinotand Gris ding adding flavour to oholic 750ml ish, vegetable dishes derful addition to s and marinades.

Serving size: 200ml Average Quantity Servings per bottle: 3.8 Per 100g Per serve

Energy Protein

169kJ 0.3g

339kJ 0.5g

Anything lemon juice or vinegar can do, Fat Total

Saturated

Carbohydrate Total Sugars

Sodium

This is an average may change slightly with seasons.

0.1g

0.3g

0.0g 9.4g

0.0g 18.9g

3g

6g

9.2g

18.5g

YOU foodies

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They’re known as “alligator pears” because of their pear shape and bumpy green skin.

Nutrition: Avocados are a superfood providing vital nutrients needed for a healthy body. In fact, the Guinness Book of World Records lists the avocado as the most nutritionally complete fruit in the world.

Avocados contain Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E, which are important for brain health.

This, combined with avocados’ potassium content, helps to reduce blood pressure.

Quick recipe ideas: Kick-start the day with smoked salmon and mashed avocado on toast for a combination of healthy fats from the avocado and protein from the smoked salmon to keep you going.

For a refreshing, nutrient-packed summer salad, combine chunks of watermelon with avocado, radish and feta, topped with mint and chives. Or arrange bowls of marinated olives, roasted peppers, crumbled feta and diced avocado with toasted pita bread as a mezze-type snack.

For more tips and recipes go to www.5aday. co.nz, at facebook.com/5adayNZ or Fredge5Aday on Twitter.

Best Before: July 2015 Non Alcohol Contains: Pressed Grapes, Dioxide (220), Ascorbic A No Sugar Added.

Nutrition Information:

Serving size: 200ml Servings per bottle: 3.8

Energy Protein

Fat Total Saturated

Carbohydrate Total Sugars Sodium

This is an average

Av Per

16

YOU transform

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Varicose veins are caused by abnormal connections from the high pressure deep venous system to the usually low pressure superficial system just under the skin. These veins distend, overfill with blood and then cause symptoms.

Most are hereditary.

Large varicose veins have abnormal valves that fail to keep blood flowing upwards to the heart.

Downward flow causes the vein walls to blow

out and bulge, with poor skin nutrition. Smaller dilated veins, including spider veins, can be hereditary or caused by hormonal factors (as in pregnancy).

Ultrasound guided sclerotherapy (UGS) and endovenous laser treatments (EVLT) are safe and highly effective out-patient procedures which eliminate the deeper diseased veins hidden from view that have traditionally required surgical stripping.

There are many advantages of ultrasound guided sclerotherapy: No surgery No time off work No anaesthesia No scars or sutures Continue normal daily activities Lower cost.

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22

YOU paper plus

advertising feature

The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion you

by Fannie Flagg magazine

BOOK REVIEW

BY NORMA GEDDES

T

he first thing you notice about the superb Fannie Flagg is that she certainly manages to grab your attention with the titles of her books – who can forget Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café? Wonderful book and a fabulous movie that my daughter Anna watches at least twice every year. This beloved author doesn’t disappoint with her new novel.

Mrs Sookie Poole is a happy woman. The last of her three daughters has been married off – one son to go, but as far as weddings go, that will be another mother’s problem.

Perhaps now she will have time to relax a little, read a book and even get to spend time with her dentist husband, Earle, maybe even take a cruise. Life is looking up. But the only blip on the horizon is her mother – 88 year old Lenore Simmons Krackenberry – always dramatic, flamboyant and quite overbearing. Sookie has always lived in her mother’s shadow but has had her husband and children to keep her busy and fulfilled.

And then a registered letter arrives from the Texas Board of Health and Sookie’s world is changed in a flash. The letter reveals a secret about Sookie’s parentage and her mother’s past. Her search takes her back in time and place to the 1940’s. She learns about a woman called Fritzi Jurdabralinski a trained airplane stunt pilot. With the men at war she returns to Wisconsin to help run the family’s filling station.

As the war rages on gas prices soar and she returns to her first love – flying. And here we learn that in fact women were trained as pilots and flew planes for the war effort. So the story alternates between Sookie’s discovery and Fritzi’s adventures.

The novel is set in southern Alabama as are her previous novels – her characters are larger than life and quite unforgettable – this is a story full of warmth, mystery, fun and adventure.

Enjoy!

bring in this advert & get

25% off this hilarious and superb book

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YOU health 2000

advertising feature

23

Product review

Antipodes natural lipstick Before application.

T *Colour trialled - remarkably red.

he Antipodes collection of lipsticks claims it is so natural you can almost eat it. Sorry to report, we didn’t eat it as part of this review. Two reasons - one, the word ALMOST and two, my current diet plan doesn’t allow me to have cosmetics as a mid-afternoon snack.

Antipodes as a brand is a strong believer in limiting human exposure to synthetic chemicals and other nasties, so it is no surprise that these lipsticks are 99 per cent natural, with the key ingredients being things that bring to mind fresh air and lush rainforests. One of the key ingredients listed is the nutrient rich avocado oil

Straight after application.

to protect and hydrate our lips. Needless to say we were a tad excited to try this product and discover the outcome.

I’m not a huge lipstick wearer (I lack in the top lip department and don’t like to emphasise this) but my friends are, and the key factors when selecting a lipstick seem to be longevity, hydration, shine and, of course, colour!

So, after bribing my colleague Amy, who has the fullest lips on our team, to be my test model we were ready to apply!

First off, the product went on really smoothly, no need for a lip brush and it didn’t go on too

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Amy continued to work and went about drinking water, talking and having a snack.

Two hours later I was amazed to look over and see that the depth of colour was still there. The lipstick had not faded or bled at all! The only thing to note was that the sheen had faded a touch, but not nearly as much as I would’ve expected in three hours.

So, if you are looking for a new lipstick brand, give Antipodes a go! And, if you get peckish you can always have a nibble on it!

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24

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Assorted ring holders - from $18.50 Collectible pewter shoe pin cushion - $28 Orange and teal picture frame - $32

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Do I

magazine

?

you

trade up or renovate?

BRANCH MANAGER

BY JOHN MOORE

W

hy do people change their homes?

There could be many many reasons.

As we get older our lifestyle changes, some have growing families, some have children leaving home and find their current house just too big. These reasons can be triggers for changing homes. Some people just like the idea of having a new kitchen or bathroom.

With these things in mind, is it better to renovate and make changes to your home, or buy another home?

Remember you could potentially be buying someone else’s dream home or someone else's mistake, as I've heard it called. For me personally, I have lived in the same home for 21 years and could not imagine living anywhere else in Ashburton. Maybe a renovation is the option for me in the future although; as I know

27

Carol wants a bigger garage.

An important factor to consider when renovating is not too over capitalise on the property, which can easily be done. Although if the property is where you want to live long term, then does it really matter if you over capitalise. You get the house you want in the area you want to live in.

Renovating your home could also present a great saving for you as well, as you don't have the house sale costs of real estate commission and legal fees. This saving will go a long way towards doing up the bathroom or kitchen in your existing home.

If you're lucky enough to have cash in the bank or building society to do the alterations that’s great, if not, you will need to borrow the money for the alterations. You should talk with your bank or building society first to make sure you can borrow the amount required to do the alterations. If a mortgage is already in place and you're improving the property you shouldn't have too much problem borrowing as us lenders like homes improved and value being added.

This is a great way to move forward especially if you're comfortable living where you are, if you're not comfortable then a change of scenery may be on the cards and looking for that new home can be a fun thing, so I'm told.

If this is you, doing the renovation or buying a new home, come and have a chat. I will shout you a coffee and can tell you how much you can afford to borrow. Then when you go shopping you'll know how much you've got to spend, it just makes it that little bit easier.

See you at NBS. Have a great 2014.

Term Investments

4.75

Term Investment

%P.A.

John Moore Branch Manager

Kiley Sparrow & Amanda Mackenzie Customer Service Officers

Home Loans Transactional Accounts Small Business Banking

*

24 MONTHS

Agribusiness Foreign Exchange 324 East Street. 03 307 6380. www.nbs.co.nz

ASHBURTON

*Rate current at 14/01/14 and is subject to change. A Prospectus, Disclosure Statement, and Investment Statement for Term Investments are available upon request, free of charge from any NBS Branch or may be viewed at www.nbs.co.nz. NBS Terms & Conditions apply, Minimum deposit $5,000.00.

NBS is not a Registered Bank. NBS has a BB+ (stable) credit rating from Fitch Ratings.

What they were wearing at the

Golden Globes

DUNSANDEL STORE

MAIN SOUTH ROAD, DUNSANDEL A. Left – Jennifer Lawrence arrives at the 71st annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel this week in Beverly Hills, California.

Right (from left) – Julia Roberts, Emma Watson and Sandra Bullock. Below – Emma Thompson.

B. C.

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YOU women in business

30

Real

passion A home is more than walls, windows and a roof.

It’s where families grow, memories are created and lives are lived.

P

Rachel Curd and Kirsty Clay. photo Donna Wylie 140114-DW_226

roperty Brokers newest agents, Rachel Curd and Kirsty Clay, understand that home truly is where the heart is. Despite overseas explorations, both have returned to the town in which they were born, to live, work and play.

They have recently joined the local team at Property Brokers, where learning from the experienced agents is top priority.

Their previous careers have already laid the foundations for a successful futures in property.

Born and bred in Ashburton, Kirsty has an excellent knowledge of the local residential market. She attended St Joseph’s School and Ashburton College, followed by a customer services position with Mitre 10.

She then began her career with the Ashburton Guardian, starting as a receptionist before moving into the photography department in 2001.

In 2004 she took the plunge to explore the world, and went on an overseas adventure to England. She met the love of her life, Chris, and stayed in England for two years until her Visa was due to expire.

Chris returned to New Zealand with Kirsty, and despite having a returning ticket to England, the couple decided to stay and make Ashburton their home. Kirsty resumed her role with the Guardian as a photographer.

Many people within the community will be familiar with Kirsty from her long career as a photographer. While photography will always be a passion, Kirsty wanted a change of career to utilise her strength in sales and customer services, and made a move to a sales position within the media industry.

Having met Kirsty through her photography,

Property Brokers offered her the opportunity to study real estate. This was a big decision as it meant leaving a paid job to become a full-time student, but Kirsty embraced the challenge and only has a couple of papers remaining before she receives her certificate.

Since a picture paints a thousand words, Kirsty is excited that once she becomes an agent, she will be able to utilise her photography experience, to capture properties to their full potential.

Rachel also grew up in Ashburton, experiencing the rural charm of Winchmore on the family farm. Rachel went on to study at Rangi Ruru Girls’ School in Christchurch as a boarder, before completing a Diploma in Hospitality Management at Christchurch Polytechnic before returning to Ashburton.

After a stint in hospitality, Rachel took the opportunity to work at RX Plastics in an administration role for five years, before applying for a sales support position with Property Brokers.

While working full-time, Rachel studied toward her real estate certificate via correspondence to become an agent. It was an easy decision for her to join the sales team, where she feels her local knowledge, combined with her communication skills will allow her to be a successful agent.

“Property Brokers has a great team approach to getting the best result possible for the vendor. I couldn’t have asked for a more supportive or knowledgeable environment for entering the property industry,” Rachel said.

With hunger for knowledge and passion for exploration, it’s no surprise that Rachel and Kirsty are both keen travellers.

Since Kirsty’s husband Chris is English, travel is always on the agenda to visit friends and family overseas. In 2011, the couple travelled to England for Christmas.

As time is always precious, Kirsty arranged a reunion in Chris’s home village, for friends and family to get together. Taking Kirsty totally by surprise, Chris proposed to Kirsty in the village’s church yard, with a ring made from Lego in her favourite colour.

The couple were married in Geraldine a little over a year later, where the Lego theme

YOU

real results

remained prominent, with a stunning Lego cake.

Later that year, Kirsty and Chris travelled to South America to attend the wedding of Chris’s brother to his Columbian bride in her home country. Her family welcomed them with open arms and gave them a true appreciation for the South American culture, allowing them to experience the Latin land through the eyes of a local.

Travelling to Samoa with the Ashburton Rotary Club is an experience Kirsty will cherish.

She travelled as a photographer to capture the moments for the Rotary Club’s literacy programme, where she got to appreciate a range of communities in Samoa, not just the tourist hot spots.

Her time behind the camera allowed her to experience a range of culture, celebrities and activities. She has captured the images of numerous sporting stars, including many All Blacks, boxer Shane Cameron and league star Sonny Bill Williams, just to name a few. She has

met Prime Minister John Key on many photo shoots, and was fortunate to meet Sir Edmund Hillary in her earlier years.

To capture the best image, Kirsty never shied away from a challenge or an adventure, and believes that life is about giving anything a go, as you may never get the chance again. She travelled in a NZ Army LAV at Burnham Military Camp, has flown in small aircraft with the door open to get the best shots and has ridden in rally cars, jet boats and helicopters. If it’s fast, she’s up for the thrill.

Two years ago, Rachel embarked on the vacation of a lifetime. It began with immersing herself in the Asian culture of Thailand, enjoying the ultimate relaxation on its stunning beaches for 10 days. From the humid heat of Thailand, she then spent a week in the extreme dry heat of Dubai.

After experiencing the Middle Eastern delights in the United Arab Emirates, Rachel left the spice souks for a 57 day camping safari throughout Africa.

In what can only be described as an epic and life-changing journey, Rachel travelled 27,500 kilometres, from Kenya to South Africa, visiting a total of nine African countries.

The beauty of the Victoria Falls was captivating, and despite visiting several game parks, Rachel describes the experience of each one as unique. While bush camping in the Serengeti, Rachel’s group experienced Mother Nature at her rawest, with a lion killing a buffalo on their camp site, a rare and certainly unforgettable occurrence. Experiencing the cultures of different African nations was an eyeopening experience for Rachel, who now has a greater appreciation of the luxuries of home.

Back in her home town, Rachel is following in her mother’s footsteps as a member of the grounds committee with the Ashburton A&P Association, an involvement she has enjoyed for the past five years, and will continue to do so for many more years to come.

Both Kirsty and Rachel enjoy the active social scene that Ashburton offers, making the most

31

of their spare time on the sports field.

Kirsty enjoys a wide variety of sport from squash and volleyball to tennis and netball, but is frustrated to be currently out of action with a knee injury.

Rachel dedicates her summer to tennis, playing in both the Sunset Doubles Competition in town on a Thursday evening and competing in the Rosebowl competition on a Saturday for Winchmore.

In winter her time is spent with the Hampstead Senior Women’s Hockey Team, competing in the joint Mid-South Canterbury competition. She also coaches Hampstead junior teams, and enjoys seeing the pure joy on children’s faces as they run around on the hockey field.

Rachel and Kirsty are looking forward to meeting clients, who may be contemplating a move, or a change in their property investment portfolio. With their enthusiasm and dedication to their work, vendors can be confident that they are in good hands.

Looking for a

FRESH perspective on

real estate?

SELLIN SOON G Kirsty Clay and Rachel Curd are your new Property Brokers real estate agents.

Buying or selling? get in contact with Kirsty or Rachel today!

Kirsty Clay │ Mobile: 0273 087 557

Rachel Curd│ Mobile: 0272 289 401 rachelc@propertybrokers.co.nz

Hastings McLeod Ltd licensed under the Real Estate Agents Act REAA (2008)

32

YOU configure express

advertising feature

Fit for new

P

life

regnancy is tough. In addition to swollen ankles, hormonal emotion, morning sickness and feeling bloated, there’s conflicting information on what mums-to-be should and shouldn’t be doing.

Everything from eating a salad to exercising becomes a topic of debate, so its little wonder that many pregnant women feel unsure about the level of activity they should do.

In August of last year, Lora King gave birth to her second son, Lachlan. Being one of the trainers at Configure Express, Lora was already in great shape when she discovered she was pregnant, but Lora had previously overcome her own weight loss struggle to reach a level of fitness she was happy with.

She joined Configure Express in Christchurch

when she was 16, and signed up for the Break programme.

“It gave me the structured support I needed to lose weight. I had tried a lot of other gyms, but there would come a time where I would miss a few days, and then not want to go back because I was ashamed at letting my progress slip. When I joined Configure Express, I received the motivation I needed to encourage me to keep returning, and I never felt embarrassed or judged if I had slipped a little.

“The feeling that I had once I had lost weight was incredible, and I realised that helping people to achieve the same is what I wanted to do with my life. When Configure Express opened in Ashburton a few years later, I knew it was the opportunity I had been waiting for.

Before

After

“Becoming an instructor allowed me to work on my own personal fitness goals, as well as helping others to achieve theirs.

By giving women advice on fitness and nutrition, it was reinforcing what I needed to be doing myself.

I would fit a workout in during my break, and then enjoyed taking a variety of exercise classes to keep me moving,” Lora said.

When Lora discovered she was pregnant, her choice was to maintain her fitness as well as she could, for her and her baby’s physical and mental health.

“I kept working until June 23 when I took one year maternity leave.

I continued to exercise at Configure Express as a client during the majority of my pregnancy,

and as soon as I felt I was able to after the birth.

The key is doing what feels comfortable, and never doing anything that causes any pain or discomfort.

“I had a trouble-free pregnancy with hardly any symptoms, and my birth was fast and felt much more comfortable than my first.

Being fitter for pregnancy, birth and for being a new mum again has definitely made a difference. I feel more capable and relaxed, ready to tackle anything,” Lora said.

If you are contemplating a pregnancy exercise programme, visit your general practitioner who will recommend the correct level of exertion for each stage, and then see the team at Configure Express, a women’s gym with women’s best interests at heart.

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YOU and your gardens

34

Be in to win

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY:

• You must provide a gardening question for the Daltons’ experts to answer.

• Please include your address and phone number in email and letter options!

• Giveaway entries must be received by January 31.

For more information on Daltons products visit www.daltons.co.nz

All questions supplied are entered into the draw to win a Daltons prize pack, but the Guardian reserves the right to choose which questions and answers will be published.

Daltons post the prize to our lucky winner.

Potting up the veges Helen Walters is this month’s prize winner with the following question: I have tried growing veges such as lettuce in pots but have not had much success. Are there any tips or tricks you can share to get a decent crop?

Y

ou can grow many vegetables successfully in pots or containers, especially with the different types of dwarf or minivarieties now available.

Growing in pots is a great way to get children involved in gardening and is ideal for those with limited space.

There are a couple of things you need to do to ensure a bumper crop. Choosing the rightsized container is important; people tend to select smaller pots, but make sure you choose a decent size. What you plant your veggies in is crucial, so use good quality potting or container mixes as they contain well-balanced, slow-release nutrients and have moistureretaining qualities.

It’s a good idea to change the soil every time you want to grow a new crop, as nutrients and water-holding capabilities can get depleted.

Position your pot or container in a warm sunny, north facing position, away from strong winds. Water regularly and don’t let them dry out. It’s important to plant vegetables in the right season; for summer vegetables – plant them in the summer months, not too early or late, particularly in the South Island.

Try lettuce varieties such as Tom Thumb, Little Gem and other red-leaf varieties which grow well and look great.

Feed your potted veges with vegetable fertiliser throughout the growing period (avoiding the hot months when plants are struggling with heat).

L

ast century, I spent a lot of time in the garden with my grandmother, and more time in the family’s vege patch with my parents and siblings.

It was a Saturday morning chore – those of us who were big enough weeded, and the younger members of the whanau carted the weeds to the wheelbarrow.

We are talking of a time when the Farmer’s grocery truck arrived once a week, delivering staples – flour, sugar, baking powder and the like – and the occasional tin of Golden Syrup, but not much more.

Mr Waller drove the truck, and on each visit he left four lollies; one for each of us. We got off the school bus on Thursday and raced down the hilly half-a-kilometre drive to get the prized “green lolly”.

Looking back, who knows why the “green lolly” was better than the orange, red, or yellow one – guess it was the challenge that mattered!

The point is Mr Waller didn’t deliver any veges, dairy products or meat.

Mutton was a staple – we didn’t even know people ate lamb!

The house cow provided milk; mum made butter, cottage cheese, and ice cream from the milk Erma provided.

But it was my grandmother, Vanny Nelson (she refused to be called Granny), who taught me to save seeds. She raised a tribe of kids through the very hard years of the 1940s depression. She also taught us how to make soap from the kidney fat of the mutton my grandfather Jock killed for the table.

Nothing was wasted in her home. I’ve ditched the soap making that took the skin off your knees before Sunday school on a weekly basis, but I’ve carried a lot of her messages with me.

Vanny taught me to save the strongest plants for seed.

Seeds are so expensive these days it’s

magazine

Email goodies@theguardian.co.nz with Daltons Premium Flower packs in the subject heading, or write to Flower Pack giveaway, Box 77, Ashburton.

Flowers offer instant gratification and can transform any outdoor area. Potted colour varieties are an ideal way for those with limited budgets, space or time to spruce up their gardens.

Most garden centres have a section for potted colour and the majority of plants in this area come with sun and shade requirements so make sure you plan your planting area. We have a Daltons Premium Flower pack valued at over $40 that has everything you need to get your flowers blooming. Each pack contains 1 x Daltons Premium Flower bed mix (40 litre) and 1 x Daltons Premium Potting mix (15 litre) , 1 x Daltons Premium Rose and Flower fertiliser.

Saving seeds you

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MY BACKYARD

BY MICHELLE NELSON well worth collecting the healthiest seeds from your garden for next year’s crop.

This year I grew an amazing broccoli – with a head that grew to the size of a cauliflower before it bolted – I’ve let it go, to collect the seed.

I’ve adopted the same strategy with my best celery, broad beans, carrot and herb plants.

Vanny Nelson used to put a paper bag over the coveted seed head and close it with a recycled rubber band – I’m inclined to let my seeds fall into the garden – let’s see what comes up next year!

YOU

35

Turn little hands into green fingers School holidays are the ideal time to introduce children to the wonders of the garden and make them more ecologically aware.

That’s the word from

British TV gardener Chris Beardshaw, who likes to get out in the garden with his three daughters, sowing, digging and insect-hunting.

The award-winning garden designer and BBC broadcaster thinks children should be encouraged to get their hands dirty, especially when they are holidaying at home.

“Some things are straightforward, such as sowing seeds of short-term crops such as lettuces and rocket, which will be cropping before the end of the summer holidays,” he says. “But it’s also good to sow things that are more long term. We’ve planted apple trees and are anticipating our first crop.”

Explaining the way different flowers attract different insects is an ideal way to engage children.

“One of

the things that stimulates children is the way in which the floral elements of the garden attract organisms such as bees, butterflies and other insects. Of course it’s great to explain the way in which different insects are attracted to different flowers.

“Try to get the children to understand that the shape of the flower is largely going to dictate the type of insect that’s going to be visiting.

Tubular flowers tend to attract insects with long tongues, such as long-tongued bees, butterflies and moths.

“The flatter flowers from the daisy family, such as echinacea, are much better for shortertongued insects such as the honey bee.”

Many veges, whether root or leaf crops, can be used as a salad crop, he notes.

“We sowed all of last year’s seed which hadn’t been previously sown, all mixed together, in one redundant area of the garden and harvested the leaves – nasturtiums, carrots and

bull’s blood beet leaf can all be cut and used as a quick salad crop within four to six weeks. And there’s nothing wrong with letting those crops grow on to harvest young vegetables.

“Sowing has traditionally been thought of as a spring activity, but there’s no reason why you can’t sow all-year round, using the tops of lemonade bottles to protect young seedlings.”

Beardshaw, who is involved with a variety of schools’ initiatives, says the number of children getting involved in gardening is on the rise because of an increased awareness of the importance of teaching them where food comes from.

“Many more schools are getting involved in using their external environment as a green classroom. For a relatively modest investment, you get a huge return in school gardens.

“When I was a child, I was told that it was only remedial students who studied horticulture and gardening. How things have changed.” – AAP

36 Start a

new

chapter

with a wealth

of opportunities

YOU and your garden

Mulch’s moist magic A layer of mulch saves gardens in summer, writes Maureen Gilmer

M

Lochlea Lifestyle Resort - Ashburton’s resort, first complete lifestyle resort providing luxurious two and three bedroom villas, recreational lodge, and soon to be built 80 bed hospital with aged care and dementia facilities. Life just gets better.

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Entrance off Racecourse Rd, Ashburton Email tony@lochlearesort.co.nz | www.lochlearesort.co.nz

ulch works miracles in the summer garden.

Mulch for vegetable gardens is simply organic matter spread on the soil around plants. It works best in a layer about 5cm thick. At that depth, it will be an insulating layer to keep the root zone of plants ideal for growth.

Mulched soil won’t swell or shrink, crack or create a water-repelling surface crust. It remains evenly moist under this airy cover that blocks surface evaporation.

Water you apply remains in the soil to be used by plants. Water trapped in the mulch further enhances this benefit. It means you won’t need to water so often, which means mulches also reduce maintenance.

Mulched soil never receives direct sun because it’s always shaded by that thick layer of organic matter. Roots in mulched soil rarely overheat, making the plants more resilient in high heat or wind.

Every weed seed in your garden is just waiting for you to give it enough water to grow.

But if that seed is buried under 5cm of mulch, it may sprout in darkness, but won’t grow because the mulch cuts off light. This is why decorative mulches are used in ornamental gardens as weed control. When mulches are used in the food garden, they do the same thing, so you won’t have to weed.

It’s never too late to mulch. Start with the aisles, then move into your started seedlings.

Keep the mulch 2.5cm clear of the plant stem.

Vegetable garden mulch is cheap because it isn’t a decorative thing, so don’t buy ground bark or other bagged materials.

Try a bale of straw: it’s cheap, fits in the boot of most mid-size cars, and a single bale should be more than enough to cover a large garden.

Once the bale is open, break apart the flakes and spread the straw into an even layer, then water it down.

Consider baled lucerne, a superior mulch.

Lucerne is a legume, and every part of these plants is rich in nitrogen. Farmers grow legumes in their winter fields so they can till the nitrogen-rich plants back into the soil before spring planting. The process is called green manure. If you till lucerne mulch into the soil at season’s end, you reap the very same benefit. Lucerne is literally green gold for your garden.

Ground up wood or a carpenter’s wood shavings are also usable but they offer no nutrients and take a long time to decompose.

Whatever you use, any mulch is better than no mulch.

For a truly sustainable garden, make sure you provide plenty of mulch. You’ll save water, labour and money.

– AAP

YOU vet talk

you magazine

I

the heat

Feeling

VET TALK

BY JUAN GRAY

t might not be one of our best summers on record but our pets are feeling the heat. Cats and dogs are at the mercy of the environment and the surroundings or accommodation that we provide them.

Our bodies need to be and are generally kept in a very narrow temperature range – in cats and dogs this tends to be between 38° C -39° C. We have developed ways to keep ourselves cool when the days get hot – humans sweat, dogs pant. Panting is not as efficient as sweating and so dogs cannot cool themselves down as easily when they get hot.

It’s up to you the owner to prevent them over heating. If your dogs temperature increases by just a little to 41° C, damage can occur and taken another couple of degrees higher rapidly results in organ failure leading to death – basically they cook!

Dogs at most risk are: • Heat intolerance due to poor acclimatisation to the environment (such as a thick/heavy coated dog e.g.

Husky, St Bernard) • Obesity and larger dogs • Underlying heart/lung disease • Short-nosed, flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds e.g. English Bull Dog, Shih Tzu…

•

Dehydration, insufficient water intake, restricted access to water If your dog falls into any of these headings you should avoid exercising them during summer days – some suggest not when the temperature is over 12° C! Instead go for walks in the morning or late evening.

If you think your pet is showing signs of heat stroke you should seek urgent veterinary advice – It is an emergency!

Some symptoms are: • Panting • Excessive drooling • Dehydration – skin stays standing when pinched • Increased body temperature – above 39° C • Reddened gums • Rapid heart rate or irregular heart beats • Sudden breathing distress – increased rate or noisy • Vomiting blood • Small, pinpoint areas of bleeding • Seizures • Muscle tremors • Wobbly or drunken gait or movement

E E R F

Please never leave your pets in the car even in the shade or with the windows down. It can still get very hot inside and within minutes can result in heat stress. We have already treated dogs for heat stroke and in one circumstance the dog died before it made it to the clinic.

37

Remember to always carry plenty of water and don’t encourage vigorous exercise during the heat of the day. Still make the most of what’s left of the summer months!

welcome pack when you sign up with us

Come in and meet our friendly team and when you sign up as a new customer with your pet we’ll give you a FREE welcome pack valued at over $130! Included are vouchers for discounted flea treatments, microchipping and worming tablets, and buy one get one free pet food!

Find us on

www.vetent.co.nz

YOU social scene

38

Park St Day Centre Christmas concert and afternoon tea

Above – Roma Whittaker and Joyce Kilgour.

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Offers cannot be used in conjunction with any other offerdoor & only available at participating stores. *Based on re-carpeting a 3 bedroom house incl. dining OFFER AVAILABLE AT installation.

PARTICIPATING STORES. EXPIRES 30 JUNE 2013.

TERMS & CONDITIONS APPLY. ring 21blm of&of carpet on 9mm Natures Choice Underlay plus Excludes bars, uplifting, recycling, travel andand other incidentals.

Seeinstore instore forfor details. uiring 21blm carpet on 9mm Natures Choice Underlay plus installation.

Excludes door bars, recycling, travel other incidentals. instore details. hallway requiring 21blm of carpet on 9mm Natures Choice Underlay plus installation.

Excludes dooruplifting, bars, uplifting, recycling, traveland other incidentals.

SeeSee for details.

Promotion expires 16/11/2013. Offers cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer & only available at participating stores. *Based on re-carpeting a 3 bedroom house incl. dining & hallway requiring 21blm of carpet on 9mm Natures Choice Underlay plus installation. Excludes door bars, uplifting, recycling, travel and other incidentals. See instore for details.

240 Burnett Street, 240 Street, 240 Street, Promotion expires 16/11/2013.

Offers cannot be used inany conjunction with offer & onlyatavailable at participating stores. *Based onre-carpeting re-carpeting a3 bedroom house incl. dining 16/11/2013.

Offers cannot be used in conjunction with other offer &anyonly available participating stores. *Based onon re-carpeting aStreet, bedroom house incl. dining s 16/11/2013.

Offers cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer &other only available at participating stores. *Based a3Burnett 3Burnett bedroom house incl. dining 240 Promotion 16/11/2013.

Offers cannotChoice be usedUnderlay in conjunction any other offer Excludes & only available atbars, participating stores. *Based ontravel re-carpeting a 3Burnett bedroom house incl.See dining hallway requiring 21blm ofexpires carpet on 9mm Natures pluswith installation. door uplifting, recycling, and other incidentals. instore for for details. ing 21blm of&of carpet on 9mm Natures Choice Underlay installation.

Excludes door bars, uplifting, recycling, travel and other incidentals.

SeeAshburton instore details. uiring 21blm carpet on 9mm Natures Choice plus installation.

Excludes door bars, uplifting, recycling, travel and other incidentals.

See instore for details.

Ashburton Ashburton & hallway requiring 21blm ofUnderlay carpet onplus 9mm Natures Choice Underlay plus installation.

Excludes door bars, uplifting, recycling, travel and other incidentals.

See instore for details.

Ashburton Phone 0266 Phone 308 0266 308 Phone 308 0266 Phone 308 0266 www.flooringxtra.co.nz www.flooringxtra.co.nz

www.flooringxtra.co.nz www.flooringxtra.co.nz

They’re here for your emergency!

Your premises or ours!

152 Wills Street, Ashburton Ph 03 308 8485 Mobile 0274 345 636

YOU

39

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Above – Lois Attwood (left) and Val Prendergast.

Below – Bronwyn Curran and Lesney Chaney.

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Above (from left) – Karen Maw, June Kircher and Yvonne McCormick.

Below – Jeanette Ford and Albert Clark.

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ST DAVID’S Community Church Find God Find Life Find Friends Find things to do

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Shop instore or online www.anniesquilt.co.nz • Patchwork fabrics • Patterns and kits • Giftware • DMC threads • Classes

Ask about our classes starting February

rachel@anniesquilts.co.nz

Phone us at 03 308 5174 Find us at 48 Allens Rd. Ashburton Email us at minister@st-davids.org.nz Full information on www.st-davids.org.nz

Open 7 Days 9.30am - 4.30pm 167 Archibald Street - Main South Road Tinwald, Ashburton - Ph 03 307 6277

50

5 DAYS ONLY, GET IN QUICK!

MONTHS EASYPAY ON EVERYTHING OVER $1499

EASYPAY EASY PAY OPTION MEANS ALL YOU PAY IS THE ADVERTISED PRICE PLUS INSURANCE AND CREDIT FEES. CONDITIONS APPLY. SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS.

CRYSTAL3 SPEAKER PACK

AN LESS TH

MONTREAL LOUNGE SUITE

$

Sumptuous and hardwearing velour fabric that features 2 recliners.

• Wharfedales Crystal 3 series is an entry-level loudspeaker series that can accurately reproduce clear, fluid sound in its most natural form.

99 WAS $11

WEEKLY

99

NO W

9 9 9 7

$

MASSIVE SAVINGS

9

00 SAVE $4

?

What is

EASYPAY IS OUR SIMPLE FINANCE OPTION THAT ALLOWS YOU TO PAY FOR YOUR PURCHASE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME THAT SUITS YOUR NEEDS.

$2199.99

OR

OUTBACK 5 PIECE BEDROOM SUITE WITH SLEIGH SLAT BED Wow! All this at a sensational price. Made from solid recycled timber.

• 1.2 GHz Dual-Core CPU • 512 MB RAM • 16GB HDD (expandable up to 32 GB) • 7” LCD Capacitive Touchscreen Display • Android v4.1 Jelly Bean OS • Bluetooth 4.0 • USB 2.0

Mattress, linen & pillows sold LESS separately.

CE! HOT PRI

SKU: 8472508

$

99 9 19

$1599.99 WITH $600

*Trade-in is for your old lounge suite in good overall condition.

B1-A71 7” ANDROID TABLET

$

BPZ600 PIZZA MAKER WF6000 WATER FILTER & CHILLER

SKU: 7369838

$

12

129

99

ICE! HOT PR

$

9 179

9

RIVIERA QUEEN MATTRESS & BASE

$4799.99

38 Kermode St, ASHBURTON Ph: 307 9110

EASYPAY® OPTION MEANS ALL YOU PAY IS THE ADVERTISED PRICE PLUS INSURANCE & CREDIT FEES. EASYPAY® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF SMITHS CITY (SOUTHERN) LIMITED. MINIMUM PURCHASE FOR EASYPAY® OPTION IS $499 (OTHER PAYMENT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE LESS THAN $499). ALL FINANCE OFFERS ARE SUBJECT TO NORMAL CREDIT GRANTING PROCEDURES. AN INSURANCE CHARGE AND CREDIT FEES ARE REQUIRED. A DEPOSIT MAY BE REQUIRED ON COMPUTERS, MOBILE PHONES, CAR AUDIO PRODUCTS AND NEW ACCOUNTS. INTEREST IS CHARGED FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE, HOWEVER IF YOU COMPLETE THE ACCOUNT IN FULL WITHIN THE EASYPAY® OPTION PERIOD ALL YOU PAY IS THE ADVERTISED PRICE PLUS THE CREDIT FEES AND INSURANCE CHARGE. WEEKLY PAYMENTS IF STATED ARE BASED ON A 50 MONTH TERM AND INCLUDE BOOKING AND CREDIT FEES, INSURANCE & INTEREST CHARGE. APPLE PRODUCTS, SELECTED COMPUTERS, GAME CONSOLES & SOME PROMOTIONAL ITEMS ARE NOT AVAILABLE IN CONJUNCTION WITH DISCOUNT OR EASYPAY® OPTIONS OFFERS. UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED, DISPLAY ACCESSORIES ARE NOT INCLUDED. DEPENDING ON COLOUR AND COMBINATION, SOME LOUNGE FURNITURE MAY HAVE TO BE ORDERED TO CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS. ALL OFFERS AND PRICES IN THIS ADVERTISEMENT ARE VALID FOR A MAXIMUM OF SEVEN DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION OR WHILE STOCKS LAST. SOME PRODUCTS MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE IN SOME STORES.

$1999.95 SAVE $1250 PROUDLY MADE IN NEW ZEALAND

WEEKLY

E! HOT PRIC

$

AN LESS TH

SKU: 8524977

$899.99 $249.99 ea $799.99 $1049.99 $3249.95

12

WEEKLY

• Top and Bottom Heating Elements • Removable 12” Pizza Stone

PACKAGE INCLUDES Sleigh Slatbed 3 Drawer Beside x2 5 Drawer Tallboy 8 Drawer Dresser PACKAGE TOTAL

TRADE-IN

THAN

BUY AS A PACKAGE FOR ONLY

• 4 Stage Filtration • 7.2L Capacity • Filter Replacement Reminder

10

The Sleepyhead Balance Riviera bed features independent pocket springs for personalised support and minimal partner disturbance.

A combination of Dreamfoam, Memory Foam and Latex comfort layers and quilt provide a plush luxurious sleep experience.

OR

$1999.99 WITH $2800

TRADE-IN

*Trade-in is for your old bed in good overall condition.

EVERYTHING FOR YOUR HOME

2016MW